Minister says no reduction in fertility treatment funding

3.00pm

Health minister Annette King has assured some childless couples in Auckland there will be no funding cuts to public fertility treatments.

A spokesman for the minister's office gave the assurance to NZPA today after the New Zealand Infertility Society slammed a decision by the Waitemata District Health Board to pull out of fertility treatment for childless couples.

Executive officer Robyn Scott said she was "stunned" to hear Waitemata was considering dumping the scheme. It would mean more than 100 babies would not be born and the decision would condemn some couples to "a life of involuntary childlessness".

The health board move apparently contradicts the Minister, who said in a letter to the society that it was her expectation that Waitemata District Health Board would maintain consistency with the nationwide fertility service framework.

Last month the board told Fertility Associates, a private company offering fertility treatment to both private and publicly funded patients, its decision to pull out of fertility treatment had been endorsed by the board and discussed with the Ministry of Health.

Waitemata DHB general manager of funding Wendy Reid said in the letter to Feritility Associates the board would meet this month to finalise its decision.

Fertility Associates' John Peek said today about 40 per cent of its treatment was for publicly funded patients.

He said a private fertility treatment cost about $7000 but public treatments cost only $5200 because they were bought in bulk. Publicly funded patients have to meet certain criteria before they are approved for treatment.

Mr Peek said the industry was worried that if Waitemata cut funding for fertility treatment, other health boards around the country could follow suit.

- NZPA